Charlie Puth brought his tour “Voice Notes” to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sunday, July 22nd, much to the delight of thousands of teen girls. After a longer set of familiar pop songs by Hailee Steinfeld, his opener, Puth took the stage dramatically behind a white curtain. Fans swooned and screamed as Puth’s silhouette was first seen on stage, and went wild as the curtain dropped as he crooned “The Way I Am.”
Puth energetically met the crowd, bouncing and singing in his sugary tenor voice to familiar tunes “Slow it Down” and “How Long.” He impressively controls pitch, demonstrating exceptional vocal talent. He also talked the crowd up a bit, reading their signs and conversing easily with fans about his love of all things Japan. He endorsed that he is lyrically open before singing “LA Girls,” admitting he made some mistakes in love. Melodic and perfect for the radio, Puth’s songs were easy to remember and predict.
The crowd was overjoyed by him. Even though the setlist was short (only 16 songs), fans knew almost every song and screamed along with Puth. During “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Puth held the microphone out for the audience to join in, which they did with zeal. For many teens, this was clearly a first concert and a delight.
Charlie Puth checked all the boxes for a teen heartthrob on tour. He sang familiar love songs, almost all of which had him as the hero. He played keyboard, and also sang and danced. Throughout the night, he unbuttoned his bright green shirt, and by song ten had the shirt completely off. He chatted with the teens like the boy next door, sharing just enough to seem believably ordinary and safe. He wore familiar chinos and sneakers and leaned into the crowd with good eye contact. And of course, there is that voice, that amazingly sweet tenor that was consistently on pitch in its vertical climbs.
But there was something missing. Perhaps it was authenticity that was lost in Puth’s personality when he checked off all the boxes, and inadvertently put himself in one? Or perhaps he is simply shy, which is what his promoters have reported in the past. Either way, Charlie Puth’s performance, while still a gift to SPAC, is limiting. And somewhat disappointing.
Because a voice of that talent shouldn’t be checking off boxes, or put in a box, but allowed to sing its true song.
Let’s hope Puth unleashes his true voice before he gets stuck in that teen heartthrob box forever. Because it’s gorgeous and worth risking some vulnerability to keep him in the music scene beyond a few hits. Puth’s writing and skills could go the distance if he’s brave enough to go.
Set List: “The Way I Am;” “Slow It Down;” “How Long;” “Empty Cups;” “LA Girls;” “Marvin Gaye;” “Patient;” “Change;” “We Don’t Talk Anymore;” “Somebody Told Me;” “Done For Me;” “Suffer;” “One Call Away;” “Attention;” “BOY” and “See You Again”
People from all over the world rolled into a small town called Trumansburg in upstate NY on Thursday, July 19 for the 28th annual Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. The festival works to nurture local artists while reaching around the globe to bring a world’s worth of music, introducing it to new audiences. The festival tries to do all of this while creating an environment to inspire creativity and foster community building. Some people even arrived four days early to attend the festival Culture Camp, four days of workshops on musical instruments, dance and art. The festival is known for not being like most other festivals and is joked about by locals as, “Such an ‘Ithacan’ thing,” because of its close proximity to the city of Ithaca.
Grandstand of Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
The festival started off sunny at the stroke of noon with onsite campers rushing in to get their preferred spots with distant recorded music in the background playing greatest hits reggae until the live music started at 1:30. Like most years at Grassroots, I spent the first couple hours setting up my tentsite, right outside one of the four stages, and in the only shady area of the festival. With it being common to hit 100+ degree days, campers want all the shade they can get!
Thursday’s biggest highlight was roots reggae sensation and headliner, Toots and the Maytals, performing at the Infield stage. They put on a show no one is going to forget, starting off with their classic hit, “Pressure Drop” and by the end of their set, the large crowd was all smiles and cheers. The other big highlight of the night was The Ithaca Bottom Boys, a local favorite who transcend falling into a certain genre with their folky twang, hinting at the background of all their songs, but with this overlaying groove that one can’t help but dance to. Their song “Some Are Beavers” had the crowd going wild as most of them either knew the words or caught on very quickly and were singing their hearts out to it.
On Friday, the morning started with yoga and the instrument contest like it does every year. The Grassroots festival schedule has an air of familiar repetition to long time attendees, but one thing attendees can always count on is the array of different genres introducing artists they haven’t heard of before, but won’t soon forget. Artists like Dakha Brakha, a Ukrainian folk quartet that left the crowd speechless. Or Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People, rooted in classic groove and soul, but expanding into so much more. During her performance on Friday, she parted the crowd from the stage, jumped off stage, and ran up and down the created aisle, pulling people from the crowd to dance with her. It was an intimate experience you usually don’t get with a festival the size of Grassroots, which has an attendance reaching around 15,000 people. It’s not every day you get a musician like Danielle Ponder dancing just a few feet from you, tripping slightly on a backpack, losing her footing, and you get to reach out and help keep her on her feet, like I got to.
Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People
At this festival you not only get intimate shows, you get to see the band members walking around enjoying the festival, like members of festival fan favorite, Uma Galera, who performed on Friday night to a huge crowd. With their Latin-infused sound, high energy, and mid-performance dance moves, they were definitely one of the most anticipated and enjoyed acts at the festival. This being their third year returning, not only were people excited to see them, but knew words to their songs. They couldn’t leave the stage without at least three encores on their Friday night and their Saturday night performances. Other big names who killed it Friday night were folk music singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, and Valerie June’s unique mixture of folk, blues, gospel, soul, country, Appalachian and bluegrass, both of which brought in big crowds and devoted fans to their respective shows.
Saturday started with yoga once again and the band contest, a popular competition with a first prize being a slot at next year’s festival. The day then progressed through Grassroots classics consisting of many festival favorites like Keith Frank and The Soileau Zydeco Family Band, Sim Redmond Band, Donna the Buffalo, Uma Galera, and many more. And this is when the rain started. Now for Grassroots a little rain isn’t a problem, in fact it’s expected. Locals joke that the rain knows when the festival is happening and makes a point to make an appearance which, having attended it for over a decade, I can attest to being true. But the rain didn’t stop people from going out and dancing their socks, shoes and other possessions off late into the night with Keith Frank and The Soileau Zydeco Family Band playing until almost four in the morning.
Sunday came early and soggy to most people, with the rain not letting up, but that didn’t seem to phase many festival goers as they still got up bright and early for their yoga. As someone who has been attending this festival for over a decade, it’s hard for me to put into words how this festival is different than others I’ve attended. Luckily for me, I had a friend attend with me this year who had never gone before and he was able to pinpoint what is so different about it a little bit better than me. He said, “I was amazed at the variety of music Grassroots brought to the table, seamlessly blending reggae, rock, soul, dance and many other genres into a festival experience everyone can enjoy. Even going into the festival not knowing any of the lineup, I found that there was more than enough variety to always keep me entertained and excited for more.”
Apart from music, the festival also has the annual Happiness Parade, a variety of workshops with musicians and artist in the Workshop Tent, massages, acupuncture and meditation at the Healing Arts Tent, a kid’s area with crafts and games, and volunteers worked at the Kids Tent, the Art Barn, the Congo Square Market, and the Sustainability fair throughout the weekend. There were also lots of vendors both for food and arts, clothing, drums, etc. and even a changing station for cell phones run by solar panels.
The music was above par, the people attending are polite and generally good spirited, the food is good (even though it’s a little expensive), and the general atmosphere was just pleasant. The thing about Grassroots is, there really is something for everyone, and that can be seen by the different types of people that attend it. From seniors to children, frat boys to punks, parents to singles ready to mingle, American flag-wearing to hippy-loving non-showering-folk, the festival really had something for everyone. The festival was a great experience as it always is and I will definitely be back again next year.
Uma GaleraValerie JuneValerie June. Photo by Isabella Romeo-Hall.Grandstand view. Photo by Isabella Romeo-Hall.Onsite tent camping. Photo by Isabella Romeo-Hall.
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival returned to the shores of the Hudson River in Croton-on-Hudson June 16-17 for another sunny (and warm) weekend of music and environmental activism. Taking place during Father’s Day weekend as it normally does, the festival welcomed families with a little something for everybody.
Saturday featured several Clearwater regulars and favorites soloing and in collaboration. Kim & Reggie Harris, David Amram, Tom Paxton, and others joined together for a tribute session to Leadbelly and returning for a Hudson Valley song swap were locals Matt Turk, KJ Denhert, The Levins, and Sloan Wainwright. Langhorne Slim, a singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania who has some connections to the lower Hudson Valley, made his Clearwater debut with a full band set at the main stage and later a solo acoustic set where he got more personal with the songs and smaller crowd at the workshop stage. Mid-afternoon English singer-songwriter Beth Orton treated the crowd to a different sound in the folk-rock fashion. Brooklyn’s well-known They Might Be Giants stretched the bounds of the typical Clearwater style yet were a hit at the main stage late afternoon. Another Clearwater newcomer, Upstate Rubdown, was having a lot of fun during their three sets – two Saturday appearances including a festival opening set and a set to close the Hudson Stage on Sunday. Ani DiFranco made yet another strong impression on the festival with her set which closed out Saturday’s festivities.
Sunday was about as warm as Saturday, but the heat and sun was much more welcomed than some of the rainy weather seen at past Clearwater weekends (2015 was more of a wash in the park instead of a walk). Zeshan B, an American musician born to Muslim immigrants, put on two sets that day bringing together the pop/rock appeal of Western songwriting with elements of tradition from his parents’ native India. Continuing with international sounds, Betsayda Machado took the stage with music written by her in Venezuela. Opposite Zeshan B’s set, River Whyless struck some unique folks sounds weaving between the modern likes of Fleet Foxes and the muse of Bob Dylan. Deadgrass put on two sets, with a lot of Deadheads coming out of the woodwork for both sets. Made up of musicians from the lower Hudson Valley, Deadgrass interprets the Grateful Dead and Garcia libraries through the bluegrass style with renditions that can both be danced to and enjoyed in a relaxed setting. Closing the festival was a return headliner, The Mavericks, who kept the heat of the afternoon going through the sunset with plenty of dancing.
While a few bigger names have appeared in this year’s lineup of music, perhaps to keep current, Clearwater has remained rooted in its tradition over the many years since its founding by Pete Seeger. In Clearwater’s tradition of happening on Father’s Day weekend, it’s not too early to pencil it in on calendars for June 2019.
As the first note was played during the Tedeschi Trucks Band Wheels of Soul show at Artpark on July 17, it became an international endeavor. Our Canadian neighbors across the Niagara river hopefully gained a taste for the southern rock sound if they weren’t already familiar.
Although the amphitheater rests beside the bank of the river, the water is mostly hidden by trees that surround the venue, giving it a very lush sense of seclusion. The layout feels a bit jagged, as the GA lawn doesn’t directly face the stage, but is located on a slightly steep hill to the side. A large screen facing the lawn projecting the concert helps to remedy this, but it’s easy to feel slightly disconnected from the music.
This disconnect was triggered before even setting foot in the venue, as finding parking became a scramble to get a spot before missing the opening band. The Artpark signs for additional parking seemed to be leading us farther and farther from the venue, so in a panic we parked in a side yard patrolled by a middle aged man who rolled up to our window on a BMX bike, and in exchange for $5 pointed at the grassy hills in front of us exclaiming, “walk ten minutes that way and you’ll see it.” With eager anticipation and only a smidge of skepticism we hightailed it through the hills, quickly being immersed in a sea of waving yellow grasses that surrounded the path in every direction. We were soon joined on the path by flocks of other concert goers en route to the show, which combined with the beautiful scenery helped put our frantic minds at ease. Although some venues provide VIP parking for media personnel, this parking adventure definitely made for a better story.
We came through the upper entrance, where an immense flight of stairs beckoned us to descend toward the amphitheater where Marcus King Band had opened and Drive-By Truckers were now mid-set. The scene felt a little overwhelming between getting a lay of the land and navigating the throngs of humans scattered across the property. After nestling in a spot halfway up the grassy hill, it was time to go barefoot and settle in for the show.
Tedeschi Trucks Band started their set with “Bound for Glory,” an easy going but powerful tune off their first album. TTB kicked things up a notch with “Made up Mind” from their second album followed by a feathery flute intro to the lovely and triumphant “All That I Need.” Derek Trucks peppered the song with some trademark guitar work before the band quieted way down to build it back up to a full throttle jam like they do so well.
Susan Tedeschi put full force into her vocals for the ballad “Ball and Chain.” “Don’t Know What it Means” was once again concluded by a similar avant gard jam as the CMAC show, but the saxophone was definitely less abrasive this time. A powerful tidal wave guitar intro crashed into Tedeschi’s soft and sandy vocals for “Shame.” Tedeschi added a haunting echo effect to her mic that resonated through the park for a gripping end to the song. TTB brought Marcus King back to the stage for the bluesy Elmore James cover of “The Sky is Crying” where he wailed on guitar and vocals conjuring cheers from the crowd.
TTB elicited more cheers as they played the opening notes to John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.” More applause followed as they executed a flawless transition into Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree,” with another gorgeous solo from Trucks midway through. That familiar opening guitar riff on “Laugh About It” led the band into the uplifting and empowering song before closing out their set with “I Want More,” a bouncy tune with a lyrical backbone. The song broke down a little at the end as it devolved into a somewhat muddy jam that did not serve as a strong ending.
Luckily TTB returned with a meditative intro into “Midnight in Harlem.” They closed out the night with Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers assisting on the Paul McCartney and Wings cover of “Let Me Roll It.” The TTB setlist overall provided a satisfying musical journey, dismantling and rebuilding the energy in a way that makes people fall in love with the band a little more every time they perform.
Setlist: Bound for Glory, Made up Mind, All That I Need, Ball and Chain, Don’t Know What it Means, Shame, Going Down Slow, The Sky is Crying, Angel from Montgomery/Sugaree, Laugh About It, I Want More
Area fans of Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, and all of their previous musical projects, had eagerly anticipated the first Central New York appearance of their latest collaboration, The Magpie Salute at del Lago Casino in Waterloo, New York on July 19. In addition to Robinson and Ford, the band includes Sven Pipien on bass, Joe Magistro on drums, Matt Slocum on keyboards, and John Hogg on vocals, guitar, and harmonica.
Del Lago Casino’s first class, state-of-the-art, 2400-seat theater, The Vine, hosted an enthusiastic crowd with many people up and dancing, or advancing to the stage. The opening song, “Mary the Gypsy,” set the tone with Magistro’s booming, manic drums, with layers of guitars and keyboards energizing the entire room. Later in the set, the band raised the bar even higher with a full-throttle version of Jeff Beck’s “All Shook Up.” The band displayed remarkable range by switching immediately from that powerhouse high-tempo blues rock number to covering the alt-country tune “Hot Burrito #2,” a love letter of sorts from the iconic Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
It was interesting to see a few of the band members smile as they recognized familiar faces in the crowd. Robinson made mention of this, stating that such continuing support of he and Ford over all the years meant a lot. He made it a point to say that this was a new venture, with new ideas, and in the face of the world being “batshit crazy these days,” it was important to focus on now, and maybe not so much on the past. That notion was reflected in the set list. Though there were a few songs from Ford and Robinson’s previous individual side projects, any fans expecting an evening of Black Crowes covers were left empty-handed on this night, which emphasized that this was indeed a new sound and a new direction.
One element from the past that did remain evident was the effortless interplay between Ford and Robinson. It can be argued that the two of them were the equal of any guitar duo of the nineties. Though they had separated for a number of reasons, and hadn’t played together for over a decade, their decision to reunite in The Magpie Salutehas found that their old magic still exists. That connection was never more evident than during “For the Wind.” This is a sweeping song that begins with a light melodic line from Robinson, and builds to a muscular crescendo with Pipien keeping the bottom end on his familiar blue Fender jazz bass while the guitars soar and seem to draw from each other. As Robinson has stated, “Marc Ford and I have this thing and it’s something you can’t put your finger on and understand, but he and I just go to these places when we play together. The older I get, the more I realize how important that is.”
Hogg, Robinson, and Ford each took turns on lead vocals, with Pipien adding backing vocals and harmonies. Most of the evening’s one hour and forty minute set was from The Magpie Salute’s upcoming release, High Water I, available August 10 via Eagle Rock, Mascot Label Group, and Sony Japan. Pre-orders are available here. The band will continue to tour in support of the album, with scheduled U.S. dates through September.
The Magpie Salute Setlist: Mary the Gypsy, Comin’ Home*, Walk On Water, I Remember, Take It All, Shalimar Dreams, All Shook Up ^, Hot Burrito #2~, Open Up, Hand In Hand, You Found Me, Goin’ Down South, For the Wind, Devil’s In the Details, I Don’t Hear the Sound of You, Colorblind, Can You See, High Water, Send Me An Omen
Taylor Swift never stops to surprise us with great music and unforgettable performances and Taylor jumped in front of a huge crowd Friday, July 20 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. For the first one of three shows in a row this weekend. Here are the Top 5 amazing things that happened during the show.
Photos By http://www.msartsandphotos.com/
5. Stages
The Reputation Stadium World Tour brings an ever changing 110′ feet tall stage with different set ups through out the concert. She also has two other extra stages for a total of three allowing Swift to get closer to those fans that couldn’t make it to the front row. This has been the biggest stage Taylor has ever had on tour.
4. Bringing people together
There is no doubt that the 28 year old songwriter is capable of pulling every heartstring of our bodies with her songs. She is also capable of bringing thousands of people together singing at the same time for a magical and fulfilling experience for any fan. The audience clearly demonstrated that they knew every song to its core.
3. Creativity
Many fans took the opportunity to unleash their creativity creating custom costumes, signs and props to catch her attention during the show.
2. Giant Snakes
No, It’s not a joke!. While she performed the lead single of the Reputation album Look What You Made Me Do. Taylor was joined in stage by her dancers and a stunning 30′ feet tall cobra. During her song “Shake it Off” she also had two giant snakes followed by great fireworks surprising the crowd even more.
1. Top Quality Performances
Charli XCX and Camila Cabello were the opening acts in the show. Both of them performed some of their hit songs such as “Boom Clap” by Charli and “Havana” by Camila. They also joined Swift on stage when she performed “Shake it Off” which was the lead single on her previous album “1989”.
The Reputation Stadium World Tour is set to continue until November 21, 2018. The last show will take place in Tokyo, Japan. The tour could become one of the highest-grossing tours of all time and it’s definitely worth seeing with your own eyes.
The Long Island music scene is incredibly fertile and diverse. It is rare to have an event that brings everyone together in one place, from the hardcore kids out east to the classic rock loving dads from Glen Cove, to celebrate music, art, and unity. Great South Bay Music Festival achieved this in strides with their incredibly colorful lineup of popular acts ranging from Sublime with Rome to Electric Hot Tuna. Located directly on the water of the south shore of the island at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY from July 12-15, the festival grounds is the optimal place to see live music on a hot Long Island summer day.
Festival Guide
Unlike other festivals around the nation which focus in on one single genre of music, Great South Bay is a family-oriented festival that mixes up the genre of music played each day to give everyone a chance to enjoy themselves. Music lovers who attended each day went through a journey of seeing hardcore/punk bands on Thursday night to ska/reggae groups on Friday night to jam bands on Saturday night with blues/classic rock acts capping off the weekend on Sunday night.
The overall vibe of the festival was incredibly relaxed, despite how many people attended, and festival goers had the option to sit back on the grass in their lawn chairs and blankets or head up front to stand in the pit if they wanted to get closer to the music. Because of how drastically the music changed from night to night, the crowd tended to change with it, creating a different feel for each day of the festival.
Jim Faith, the man responsible for putting the event together, started Great South Bay Music Festival to create a Long Island music festival which would keep the spirit of music alive, positively change people’s lives, and create a space safe for people of all races and ethnicities to come together and celebrate different kinds of music. His goal is to inspire people to listen to new music as well turn younger folks onto legendary artists they might not have heard. The festival is not designed to be an over the top production, but rather a place to bring people together and get to the heart and soul of the community- which it certainly achieved.
Happy Festival Goers
Thursday, July 12:
The first night of music kicked off with a bang with an assortment of punk and hardcore groups who played to an energetic crowd of generally younger fans. When Get Up Kids took the main stage at 6:10 pm, the crowd was antsy and ready to go. The 90’s rock/emo band got the crowd going with an injection of high energy punk-esque songs which kept up the entire set and established the first big mosh pit in front of the stage of the night, but certainly not the last.
Eddie Breckenridge of Thrice
Thrice followed at 7:30 to the excitement of many attendants, and picked up exactly where Get Up Kids left off. The veteran alternative rock band’s heavy riffs incited headbanging, fist pumps and mosh pits in the crowd close to the stage, while those who were hanging back danced to themselves. Thrice was a treat to many festival goers as they had recently released new music and came back from a three-year hiatus, so it was many fans first time seeing them since they returned. An incredibly polished, hard rocking band, their set was played with such precision it sounded as though it was recorded in a studio.
A half hour after Thrice finished their set, the headliners of the night, The Front Bottoms, took the stage and treated the crowd to an energetic hour and ten minute set of twists and turns. Playing with the “Legendary Uptown Horns,” the set featured an animated setlist of melodic arrangements. The band sounded like a mix of Mumford and Sons and Streetlight Manifesto, and produced incredibly positive and vibrant music. By the end of the set there were people jumping, crowd surfers bouncing, and heads banging: a magnificent end to the first night of the festival, which would set the stage for the next three nights.
Front Bottoms
Friday, July 13:
Friday night was all about the ska and reggae scenes, and featured an impressive assortment of some of the nation’s top touring acts for the genre. The crowd began to fill up after 6 pm as they made their way over to the festival grounds after work, and included a very diverse crowd of fans old and young.
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake started their set right on time at 6:30 and jumped right into a fast-paced, rocking ska song to the crowd’s delight. The band seemed to be in a great mood as they played a set of many of their hits from their most recent albums to older crowd favorites, and played around heavily with crowd participation. In between songs they made jokes, brought people up on stage to dance, and even had a beer chug off with people from the crowd who they brought on stage. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they encouraged sing-a-longs, jumping in unison, and moshing. While they were very playful they were also an incredibly tight band who clearly had been playing together for a long time.
Dirty Heads
The Dirty Heads followed at 8 pm as the smell of marijuana filled the air in anticipation. The Dirty Heads are a great, chill summer band, and the beach is the ideal place to catch one of their sets. The band played a very diverse setlist from hip-hop beats and rapping to slow, bouncing reggae tunes which saw the massive crowd swaying in harmony like the waves of the sea behind them. Everyone sang along when they played their hits, and Rome even came out to perform a song he’d recorded with them for one of their earlier albums, to the crowd’s delight.
The appearance by Rome in the Dirty Heads’ set was only a taste of what was to come, as Sublime with Rome followed in the headlining spot. The band got the crowd going right away with a few classic Sublime songs, each featuring an echo of the crowd singing along. The band was able to emulate the sound of the original Sublime lineup with ease, while at the same time staying fresh with many of their new songs. Some of their new songs sounded like something from a vintage Sublime album, while others strayed genres a bit and became much heavier. Overall the night was exactly what the crowd came for as they left smiling and hazy.
Sublime With Rome
Saturday, July 14:
Saturday’s show featured an array of artists from the jam scene, ranging from cover bands to some of the top touring acts of the scene. JGB Featuring Melvin Seals brought heat with a set of Jerry Garcia music that would make Jerry proud. Seals still has the chops he had while playing with Jerry, and put together a band of world class musicians to keep the spirit alive. The set mirrored that of a ‘90s JGB show with original Garcia tracks and some of his favorite covers played with emotion and soul. Each member of the band came to play, and every note played was treated with dignity and respect, whether it was a fast-paced rocker or classic ballad.
Photo of The Great South Bay Music Festival courtesy of their website.
Papadosio followed and began their set with a jam on middle-eastern chord progressions, which piqued the interest of the crowd. Their hour long set featured mild twisting space-funk, dangerous peaks, and breezy, floating jams which exploded like the waves on the nearby jetty. Although the band normally plays indoor shows or late night time slots, having them play in the afternoon was a treat because despite the lack of light show, the crowd was able to see that the band was dancing on stage and as into the set as the audience, which only pushed the music further.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
With the crowd loose and ready to jam, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage at 7:30 and impressed the crowd with a show that they played like it was their last. The upbeat funk-rockers explored different areas of jam music from ‘70’s disco-esque grooves to dark, gritty jams. The entire crowd grooved along as the non-stop set kept everyone dancing and on their toes for what they would play next. At the end of their set the crowd didn’t seem to want them to leave, as they didn’t want to either, and gave the band an ovation which was heard a town over.
The half hour time slot in between bands gave festival goers a chance to sit down and collect themselves before they were thrown back into the madness with a dynamic set by jam band giants Umphreys McGee. Umphreys McGee quickly dove into a high-energy rocker, each note played with sharp precision. For the first time that evening, it was dark enough for a band to incorporate a light show, and it did not disappoint as the lights added another layer to the improvisational machine on stage. The band shined effortlessly through difficult progressions and raging peaks with an incredibly fun set of music. The band left the stage before their time slot ended only to come back and deliver a rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” that sounded like a crisp studio recording of the song until they put their own spin on the jam which amused and exhilarated the attentive audience.
Umphrey’s Mcgee
Sunday, July 15:
The final day of the festival seemed to attract the largest crowd, as well as the oldest crowd. From Thursday to Sunday the average age of the crowd seemed to jump nearly a decade, with the old boys coming in and finishing things off right. The Devon Allman Project featured impressive guitar work and blues jamming by sons of the original Allman Brothers Band, Devon Allman (Greg Allman’s son) and Duane Betts (Dickey Bett’s son). Looking the carry on the family musical tradition, the band did not disappoint and put a fresh spin on bluesy, rocking tunes. Some might have thought that the band was only there because of the last names of the performers, but had their names been John Doe the band would have been incredibly impressive with their set of high quality musicianship.
Festival Goers, Old and Young
Little Feat came next to the crowd’s excitement, and the classic rock legends played a set full of fun and hits. The large band of musicians played with incredible gusto, and communicated with each other musically on stage as if they were speaking a language the crowd instinctively knew. Their soulful singing and silky jams showed that they are a band worth continuing to see as they segued from song to song with their eyes closed.
After a short break, Electric Hot Tuna took the stage to an ovation unmatched by any other of the weekend. Practically ignoring the applause, they dove into a sneaky, haunting blues jam featuring impressive guitar licks and full band modulations with ease. Each song featured a notable jam of its own right, and the versatile rockers changed genres on the turn of a dime with each song. The sound was ideal as the bass was up in the mix, which is exactly what you want when Jack Casady is on stage.
Dickey Betts Band
After Electric Hot Tuna’s set, the crowd was antsy to hear the final headliner of the night, Allman Brothers Band guitar player and founder Dickey Betts take the stage with Dickey Betts Band, however they were forced to wait an additional half hour due to sound issues. The crowd was overjoyed when the band finally took the stage and jumped right into the Allman Brothers material Betts wrote. Betts was a bit rusty throughout the set, but still reached many highs on well-known Allman Brothers Band solos, and the crowd was happy to hear the music they grew up with.
Overall the festival was a great success, with attendants raving about the music they had just seen as they made their way to the parking lot on the final night. With sunlight and a cool ocean breezes, you couldn’t ask for a better weekend as people from all walks of life joined together to celebrate love and music.
Canton, NY based electric blues outfit Waydown Wailers have released Backland Blues, their third album released on Woodstock Records. The band, which was formed in 2011, is composed of brothers David Parker (vocals, guitar) and Christian Parker (rhythm & lead guitar), as well as Connor Pelkey (bass, backing vocals) , and Mike Scriminger (drums).
Backland Blues is Waydown Wailers‘ third release and was produced by Aaron Hurwitz aka Professor Louie on the Woodstock Records label. Hurwitz who was given the moniker “Professor Louie” by Rick Denko of The Band, plays Hammond Organ on multiple tunes on the record including No Mercy,” the fifth track. The song also features some excellent guitar work by Parker and illustrates why this band has garnered so much attention by music critics in the U.S. and Europe as an outstanding electric blues outfit. Another highlight of the album is “Another Bump In The Road” which feels more like an electrified Country and Western Tune.
The band also included two covers on Backland Blues, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (Made famous by the Beatles and Elmore James’ “Done Somebody Wrong.” The band did a superb job covering these vintage tunes and it was probably a calculated gamble that paid off handsomely for a band that has a large following in the United Kingdom. My personal favorite track on the album is “I Want Your Soul,” which is a tight little rocking number that demonstrates how well the boys play together as a band. The tune also features a nice hard rocking tone with great slide guitar.
The Waydown Wailers will be supporting the new album this summer, with their next date slated for Friday, August 23 at the Concert in the Park series held in Massena, New York.
Key Tracks: Back Door Woman, I Want Your Soul, No Mercy
On the evening of Wednesday, July 18, Dispatch, joined by Nahko and Medicine for the People and singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza, took the stage in Manhattan’s Central Park for the first of a two-night stand. Brad Corrigan, Chad Stokes and Pete Francis formed Dispatch over twenty years ago and have been no strangers to New York City over the last two decades. The band reminisced on stage about the early years at the former lower Manhattan venue “The Wetlands.” In the summer of 2007, during their hiatus, Dispatch sold out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights. All of the money raised from those ticket sales went directly to charities that are fighting disease, famine and social injustice. And now, seven years after the break ended in 2011, they are a part of The City Parks Foundation’s illustrious SummerStage line up. Their blend of folk, indie rock, funk and reggae combined with their ability to just downright jam out is a perfect addition to the outdoor music scene the park is hosting this season.
Set List:
Only the Wild Ones, Time Served, Midnight Lorry, Bang Bang, Beto, Windy Like, Flying Horses, Painted Yellow Lines, Rice Water, Fallin’, Curse + Crush, Open Up, Fly With Me, Bats in the Belfry, Be Gone, Out Loud
On July 27, 2018, as We Banjo 3 make their first appearance at the Great American Irish Festival, in Frankfort, NY, they will also be releasing their fifth album titled Haven. As lovers of both bluegrass and Celtic music, these four musicians from Galway, Ireland have dubbed their sound as “Celtgrass” and achieved the perfect marriage of both sounds.
The album starts out strong with the title track “Haven,” a song of wanting to escape the daily grind that surrounds each of us every day to a personal haven. We each need a haven to regenerate and refill, and to each of us it’s different. Whether it’s a person, place, or thing, the song inspires us to find that haven and refuel our souls.
Recently I spoke with band member David Howley about the new album and a few of the songs that really resonated with me. He told me that “the idea of (the song) ‘Haven’ came about organically. The world is crazy right now, probably no more crazy than it’s ever been, but we are all reaching a boiling point. Art, music and culture have always provided relief amidst the chaos. We realized that so many people come to our shows to dance, sing and step away a little from the every day, to recenter on what’s truly important. That interaction is what fuels us as a band, the smiling eyes or the tear of empathetic harmony that rolls down someones face, it means we’re down to our human level and that’s where people can be fully present. We are not claiming to know how to fix things or to change things; we just know how to get people to dance like new born baby giraffes and sing like they wrote the lyrics themselves.” And for those of us that dance like new born baby giraffes, we can totally relate. Music is a haven for us all and this song is a perfect depiction of that. Loved the song, and loved the horns within it.
As you get deeper into the album, they pick it up in the next couple songs with quick tempoed banjo and fiddle numbers. In “Light In The Sky,” you can’t help but be inspired to follow your dreams while, with “Sugar House,” you’re grabbing the nearest partner to cut a rug. True ‘Celtgrass’ magic these two numbers are. I loved how the “Sugar House” progressively sped up, exhausting you and encouraging you to keep up at the end. You would definitely get your steps in on this one if you were on the dance floor.
I’m a sucker for love and in “War of Love” you can’t help but reminisce about the one got away while watching them move on. Loved the beautiful writing and harmonies on this one with Sierra Hull.
In “Annabelle’s Cannon,” you have the perfect blend of musicianship – great banjo, great fiddle and great mandolin in this number. Okay, I just love the melody of this one which made it all great in my book. The beauty of it is that they each were featured perfectly, never competing with each other, only accompanying each otheras they took turns front and center…and did I hear an electric fiddle or cello in there, friends?! Not quite sure of which it was, but great add!
“Pack It Up” has a very folksy vibe to it and I specifically liked the progression of the song to the climatic end of musical movement.
On “Marry Me Monday,” I love this love song’s vibe. It makes you want to grab the one you love, or would like to love, and takea twirl to this classic Celtic waltz. Definitely a favorite for this season’s wedding dances.
“Sunflower” is an inspirational quirky tune. With lyrics about love, I found this number very uplifting and loved the harmonies on this one.
“Don’t Let Me Down” is my favorite number of all on this album. It’s a beautiful love song that is beautifully written, with beautiful musical composition and outstanding harmonies – a true example of less is more. You’ll see what I mean when you listen to it. Just beautiful! Too many beautiful’s? Nah!
“Dawn Breaks” is my second favorite track on the album. It’s a true Irish jig mixed with a peppering of bluegrass music. It’s a perfect marriage of both and shows the true musicianship of all the members of the band in this number. It’s a party in a song; some mighty fine craic here!
“Hold Onto Your Soul” is my third favorite. Although a bit serious in its message compared to the others on the album, it’s beautifully written and conveyed. I asked David about this song. He told us that, “‘Hold On To Your Soul’ sprouted from an idea our banjo wizard Enda had, a heartbreaking story that is so common in today’s metal health climate. He and I sat down in a hotel room in Tokyo and grew it a little more…we got together as a band and watched as it kept growing into the song it is now. It’s brutally honest, and doesn’t shy away from how it really feels to be down. The message of the song is that when your right there, as low as you think you can be, that’s when you just need to hold on a little longer and things will get better.” This a message that so many don’t tackle. It’s something that should be talked about more, however, tends to be taboo. So through these lyrics, they speak to so many, sending a message of hope for tomorrow. Although things may look bleak today, just “Hold on for tomorrow / Your time will come / This too shall pass / And there’s nothing to fear / Hold on for tomorrow.” It’s an amazing number all around. I applaud them for tackling the subject!
You can’t help but be happy listening to this album.I’m a sucker for a banjo and fiddle, but the compilation of the lyrics and music weave a story of love, adventure, hope, celebration and community throughout the whole album. Although I’ve been around the Celtic music scene now for about twelve years, this is the first time I’ve heard their music and I was very impressed. They lived up to all the hype I’ve heard and blended two of my favorite genres to make the best of both worlds.
Being a newcomer to their music, I asked David if he felt this album was different or an continuation of a story of their previous albums. “Our previous albums are all perfect snapshots of where the band was at a point in time. This album is a little different, it was written, recorded and mixed with a sense of risk. We’ve never been as honest in our writing before, from love sappy songs to songs about going to your ex-girlfriend’s wedding, we tried to stay honest and not shy from uncomfortable feelings. Mental health is a big theme of the album because it’s been a big theme in all of our lives, but we also wanted to portray that ‘Haven’ is a safe space for people to come and just be free.” I look forward to exploring their other albums as well as seeing them live as I have heard they are highly energetic and this energy is impossible to capture in an album.
Join me this year at the Great American Irish Festival to feel this energy, share their message, and welcome them for the first time as we are extremely fortunate to have them playing here. Take a ride down, grab their set, grab their new CD and meet them as they bring their musical Haven to the festival.
Key Tracks: Don’t Let Me Down, Dawn Breaks, Hold On To Your Soul
On July 27, 2018, as 